A joint press conference by the Cockroach Janata Party and AISA in Delhi was disrupted when people at the venue raised slogans as Neha Bora began speaking. Abhijeet Dipke then tried to calm the situation.

The event included advocate Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan and actor Prakash Raj. Bora said the movement would continue from Delhi's Jantar Mantar to Mumbai's Shivaji Park and other parts of the country. She said detention and alleged beatings would not end the movement.

The disruption came amid a wider dispute over a proposed CJP protest at Connaught Place. Dipke had said the party would hold another demonstration there on 16 October. The protest is linked to demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and opposition to SIR.

Traders oppose the proposed march

Chamber of Trade and Industry chairperson Brijesh Goyal wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking denial of permission for the CJP's “Lahra Do Tiranga” march at Connaught Place. Goyal said the proposed action had caused concern among about 20 lakh traders in Delhi.

He claimed that the 10 October protest resulted in business losses of ₹2,000 crore. The claim was presented as the reason for seeking restrictions on another demonstration in the commercial area.

A petition seeking to stop the Connaught Place protest was also placed before the Delhi High Court for urgent consideration. Senior advocate Sachin Puri, appearing for the petitioner, said the event was planned in the middle of Central Park and could create difficulties in the area. He referred to the Dussehra weekend while seeking a halt to the protest.

CJP leaders challenge the government's position

Dipke alleged that the government's actions reflected an intention of “One Nation, One Party” and “One Nation, One Leader”. He also questioned why Gyanesh Kumar was important to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and why the government was protecting him.

Dipke said Ashutosh and Saurav had been detained for waving the national flag. He argued that displaying the flag had again been treated as an offence in the country. He said the country should be governed by the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the Constitution of B R Ambedkar.

He also claimed that the vote difference between the INDIA alliance and the BJP in 2024 was about 2%, while 14% of votes had been deleted. These statements were made during the press conference and were not independently established in the supplied material.

Bora said the movement remained active among ordinary and poor families. She referred to Freedom Park, Jantar Mantar in Delhi and Shivaji Park in Mumbai as places where the campaign continued.

Detentions and court proceedings

A Delhi special court sent CJP spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das to judicial custody in Tihar jail for 5 days. They had been detained during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday morning.

The earlier protest had been called for 10 October to demand Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and oppose SIR. Police had detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at Delhi airport before their flight.

The three were produced before the Delhi Cantonment special executive magistrate court on 11 October. They were later released on bail bonds of ₹50,000 each. Their release conditions required them to maintain peace for 1 year and avoid conduct that could disturb public order. They were also required to sign bonds.

The central government removed Delhi's Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest locations on 12 October. The site had been included among protest venues 33 years earlier and had hosted the Anna movement, a wrestlers' protest and a CJP sit-in.

Following recommendations from a committee formed by the Home Ministry, Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi were designated as protest sites. CJP had sought permission on 12 October to protest at Jantar Mantar over Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and a stay on SIR, but police refused permission.

Political criticism

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said Rahul Gandhi and AISA president Neha Bora were influenced by protests in Bangladesh and wanted a similar movement in India. He referred to a video involving Gandhi and Bora while making the claim.

Bhandari said Bora had described the movement as inspired by the protests in Bangladesh. The supplied material presents these remarks as a political allegation by the BJP spokesperson.

Conclusion

The dispute now involves a proposed Connaught Place protest, opposition from Delhi traders, court proceedings and continuing political claims over Gyanesh Kumar, SIR and the permitted locations for demonstrations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why is CJP protesting?

CJP is protesting to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and oppose SIR.

Q. What happened at the press conference?

The event began amid slogan-shouting as Neha Bora started speaking. Abhijeet Dipke tried to calm the situation.

Q. Why are traders opposing the Connaught Place protest?

CTI chairperson Brijesh Goyal said traders were concerned about disruption and claimed that the 10 October protest caused business losses of ₹2,000 crore.

Q. What did the Delhi High Court agree to hear?

The court agreed to consider a petition seeking to stop the proposed CJP protest at Connaught Place.

Q. Who was sent to judicial custody?

CJP spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were sent to Tihar jail for 5 days by a Delhi special court.

Q. What happened to the earlier detainees?

Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were produced before a special executive magistrate court on 11 October and later released on bail bonds of ₹50,000 each.

Q. Is Jantar Mantar still a designated protest site?

The central government removed Jantar Mantar from Delhi's list of designated protest locations on 12 October.

Q. Which locations were designated for protests?

Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi were designated following recommendations from a Home Ministry committee.